3.1. Ox-LDL Significantly Promotes VSMC-Derived Macrophage-Like Foam Cell Death
We evaluated the effects of different concentrations of ox-LDL on VSMC-derived macrophage-like foam cell death. VSMCs were established by treatment with 5 μg/mL cholesterol for 72 h, followed by incubation with different concentrations of ox-LDL for 24 h. Ox-LDL exerted a cell death-inducing effect at a relatively low concentration of 10 μg/mL (Fig. 1a and b). The Ox-LDL-treated cells also showed significant changes in the mtROS levels and ΔΨm, in an ox-LDL dose-dependent manner (Fig. 1c and d). To further characterize the changes in cellular function, we performed qRT-PCR. The results showed that ox-LDL substantially increased the mRNA level of pro-atherosclerotic genes and inflammatory factors (CD36, CD47, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, MCP-1, MMP9, and PCSK9) (Fig. 1e) but significantly decreased the expression of the VSMC contraction phenotype marker MYH11 (Fig. 1e).